1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to healing of wounds and wound-treatment therapies. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for a multi-conduit connector used in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) apparatuses and methods.
2. Background Information
Clinical studies and practice have shown that providing a reduced pressure in proximity to a tissue site augments and accelerates the growth of new tissue at the tissue site. The applications of this phenomenon are numerous, but application of reduced pressure has been particularly successful in treating wounds. This treatment (frequently referred to in the medical community as “negative pressure wound therapy,” “reduced pressure therapy,” or “vacuum therapy”) provides a number of benefits, including faster healing and increased formulation of granulation tissue. Typically, reduced pressure is applied to tissue through a wound insert (e.g., a porous pad or other manifold device).
While NPWT has been highly successful in the promotion of wound closure, healing many wounds previously thought largely untreatable, some difficulty remains. One common component of an NPWT system is a device or structure (e.g., a multi-conduit connector) that connects a canister housing a vacuum, a fluid receptacle, or both to a medical tubeset. The tubeset may be used to deliver negative pressure to the wound site, to remove exudates from the wound site, or both.
While NPWT has been used for some time, multi-conduit connectors can be expensive to manufacture and difficult to install. Often, a user is unable to determine whether a connection has been made between the multi-conduit connector and the canister.